Category Archives: Creativity

Recognized as artist for the first time in a while

on April 12, 2024 in Art, Creativity

The MTA Arts & Design department released a book Contemporary Art Underground, about art they install. I felt honored that they invited me to the launch the other evening, especially because they gave name tags to everyone and specified “Artist” for those of us who created art for their program. They didn’t make the designation big and showy, though during the talk, they asked all the artists to raise their[…] Keep reading →

My favorite part of Bruce Springsteen’s memoir

on March 29, 2024 in Art, Creativity, Education, Freedom, Stories

I recently finished Bruce Springsteen’s memoir Born to Run. Below is what resonated with me and motivated me most: Bruce Springsteen wrote in his memoir Born to Run about discovering the guitar growing up in a working-class New Jersey neighborhood. The day after seeing Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show, “I convinced my mom to take me to Diehl’s Music on South Street in Freehold. There, with no money to[…] Keep reading →

The Life-Changing, Inner-You-Revealing, Passion-Unleashing Magic of Initiative

on March 15, 2024 in Creativity, Education, Entrepreneurship, Exercises, Stories

I’ve shared Eugene’s public postings of his experience doing the exercises in my book Initiative. At each stage, he learns more about himself and making his world work for him. Taking initiative forces you to learn your values, not in some abstract way, but: How do I want to spend my time, money, energy, and resources? How long do I want to follow other people’s values, or the worn path[…] Keep reading →

Rock star drummer and podcast guest Go Alan Go made my day Sunday

on March 5, 2024 in Art, Creativity

Sunday was the first sunny and warm day of the year, reaching nearly 70 degrees (21C). That’s unseasonably warm for the beginning of March, but only compared to the past. Compared to future Marches, it’s cool. I spent the morning on the roof, charging the battery. I knew I wanted to head to the park, but feared what I knew I’d see: piles of garbage. People don’t just go to[…] Keep reading →

Big milestone: I turned in my latest manuscript yesterday, the last substantive edits.

on February 23, 2024 in Creativity

Several readers read the last round and reviewed it very highly. I keep tightening it and clarifying parts, which improves it, but the big challenge in settling down to publish is that I’m learning more and faster than ever. This round got some great new stuff. I’m beyond enthusiastic about it reaching shelves and your hands. I won’t lie: I also feel anxiety and fear. The reviews that matter to[…] Keep reading →

See the Daily Show’s segment on me: “Is it Possible to Live “Off the Grid” in Manhattan?”

on November 29, 2023 in Creativity, Habits, Leadership, Nature

Here’s just the segment with me: and the whole episode (I appear about 11:10). I liked it more than the New Yorker piece on me, though that’s not saying much. I laughed out loud several times, partly since I remember the recording. For example, after she put the Skittles in the kombucha, we saw their dye run off and they turned an unnatural ghostly white. I wanted to share about[…] Keep reading →

What do you think of this person’s flying habits? (part 1)

on November 8, 2023 in Addiction, Creativity, Habits

I’ve been copying the travel comments from the newsletters from a friend into a file. I edited out people’s names and put in bold the names of places, but otherwise it’s as he wrote it. What do you think about this lifestyle? I think I once would have aspired to live this way. Even if I didn’t want to fly this much when I flew, I think I would have[…] Keep reading →

Sustainability is skills you practice a lifetime, not a checklist of “ten little things” like journalists promote.

on May 1, 2023 in Art, Blog, Creativity, Nature

When I teach my core sustainability leadership practice, the Spodek Method, in classes and corporate workshops, I have participants pair up and practice it with each other. When there is an odd number of participants, one usually pairs with me, leading me to new commitments on my environmental values. At first I worried I’d run out of commitments after reading many ten-little-things-you-can-do-for-the-environment articles that promote the same things. Those CCCSC[…] Keep reading →

Challenges with solar power in New York in the Winter

on December 1, 2022 in Creativity

A few weeks from the winter solstice, new challenges arise in using solar compared to summer and fall, some augmented by starting an experiment with what I had, not analyzing and planning to find perfection before starting (starting is the way to find what works best). Days are shorter: I have less time during the day to charge. Days are shorter, part 2: I can’t choose when I charge. Near[…] Keep reading →

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